Before the sun warmed the plains of the buffer zone of Maputo National Park (PNAM), Adelina Chinda walks among the rows of chili peppers that today provide for her family. With every step, every glance, she carries memories of struggle, persistence, and hope—silent stories revealing the challenges she faced along her journey.
Like other women in the Matchia community in PNAM, Adelina did not start with fertile land or guaranteed opportunities. She started with challenges and uncertainties. She began only with the will not to give up.
In 2010, when the Matchia Community Association was created to promote sustainable agriculture, Adelina saw an opportunity to start over. The land existed, but almost everything else was missing: agricultural inputs, tools, technical support, production organization, and, above all, a market capable of valuing the effort of local producers.
For her, livelihood came from activities that, although necessary to survive, were harmful to the Park’s ecosystem, such as cutting down trees for charcoal production. It was a choice: protect the environment or feed her children. Because life offered no choices, she sought income in tree felling. There was another obstacle: the Park’s animals, which crossed the area in search of food, destroying crops. Every day, Adelina never knew if she would still have a harvest to secure her family’s sustenance.
It was in this context that a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Matchia Association, PNAM, and Nando’s Restaurant for the purchase of local chili peppers. For the first time, the efforts of Adelina and the other 14 producing families had a guaranteed market and income. It was the beginning of a new stage: agriculture ceased to be uncertainty and became opportunity.
The Timely Spicy Touch of Absa Bank Mozambique
For Adelina’s dream and that of other women in the Association to grow, more was needed than just a buyer for the final product. It was necessary to protect the crops, ensure consistent production, and strengthen families. That’s when Absa Bank Mozambique, through the PNAM Friends Club “Mungano,” entered the story, like a vital spicy touch in life.
“We believe that every story can inspire and transform. Supporting social projects means opening paths for more Mozambicans to write their own future.”
With Absa’s support, fences were installed to protect the fields from animals that previously destroyed the crops. For the first time, Adelina could sleep without fearing that she would wake up to see her work ruined. Absa did not just bring infrastructure: it brought confidence, dignity, and the possibility for families to believe in their own future.
It is at this point that Adelina’s voice gains strength: “There were times when I thought I wouldn’t make it. I planted with hope and woke up with a heavy heart, unsure if the animals had taken everything. But I didn’t give up. When Absa came with the fences and believed in our work, I felt that someone finally believed in me too. Today, I am a reference producer in my community because, first, I had courage, and then I had partners who walked with me.”
Tânia Oliveira, Marketing and Corporate Relations Director at Absa Bank Mozambique, explains that the Bank’s partnership reinforces the vision that social development and environmental conservation can—and should—go hand in hand. “We believe that every story can inspire and transform. Supporting social projects means opening paths for more Mozambicans to write their own future with dignity, identity, and pride.”
A Multiplier of Examples and Dreams
What started with 15 families now involves 30. More than 14 hectares are cultivated, organized, productive, and sustainable. Income has increased, new opportunities have emerged, and the community spirit has strengthened.
Adelina is no longer just a producer. She is an entrepreneur, a multiplier of knowledge, and an example that change begins when someone believes and finds partners who believe with them. With pride, she speaks of the next steps: expanding production, involving more families, diversifying crops, and continuing to cultivate not only chili peppers but also a better future for her community.
Adelina Chinda’s journey is not only about agriculture. It is about courage. About the strength of a woman who faced adversity with resilience. About a community that turned challenges into opportunities. And about partners, like Absa, who believe that economic development and environmental conservation work better together.
Today, in the PNAM buffer zone, more than chili peppers are growing. The future is growing, hope is growing. Proof is growing that great stories begin where there is determination and continue where there are allies who believe.
